The brewery, 1010 Center Road, is the brainchild of Lengyel and fellow owners Thomas Wagner, Tom Culler and brewmaster Jerome Moore. It opened its doors for the first time March 10, and according to Lengyel it was a success.

“It was amazing,” he said. “We were quite pleased to see 30 or 40 people waiting at the door when I unlocked it.”

Those who were in attendance were treated to two of their house-brewed beers, Session 52 and VIPA. The latter is a vanilla IPA that proved very popular with those in attendance.

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“We went through over 21 six-barrel-kegs this weekend,” Lengyel said. “People really enjoyed that taste. The vanilla gets attacked by the hops and it just blends into something that you wouldn’t even imagine.”

The two beers are just the opening salvo, and soon the brewery hopes to double their offerings with their Tender Blonde and Red Caboose, which will serve as their main beers, according to Lengyer.

“We have some other seasonal ones that will infuse local hops and malts and maple syrup from the area,” he said. “We’ve got a few up the sleeve here that people are going to love to try.”

Lengyer said that the business is locally run, with most of the owners coming from around Lorain County. He said that part of the mission of the brewery is to bring the county to the forefront of the craft beer scene.

According to Lengyer, despite the competition for customers, the local brewery establishment is supportive of new ventures. He said that the crew of the Avon Brewing Company came to opening weekend.

“We had a few beers, and talked beer, the neighborhood and ways to bring people into the community,” he said. “We’re all local so it means a lot to all of us to bring a destination; something to do while you’re shopping.”

Lengyer said the local brewery scene is friendly, and that the different companies all look out for each other.

“Everyone has each other’s backs,” he said. “Everyone is competitive, but it’s not hard to talk about beer and it’s really fun to see others succeed, because in Lorain County there’s plenty of room. People like to say it’s saturated, but Lorain County doesn’t have an official brewery on-site.”

It is that connection to the county that inspired the brewery’s aesthetic, according to Lengyer.

“Back in the day Lorain County was known for making steel and manufacturing goods, and they were shipped via rail to Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Detroit or Chicago,” he said. “As Lorain County transitions and rebuilds itself, we hope to be something that people look at and say, ‘yeah, that’s what the county is all about.’”

With the brewery in full view behind the bar and a large garage door that can be opened in warm weather, Lengyer emphasized that the brewery is a family establishment where children and dogs are welcome.

“You can play board games, or watch TV,” he said. “We’ve got shuffleboard and we’ll be starting a league soon. It’s a lot different than going to a restaurant. It’s really a gathering spot for anyone who wants to talk beer, or sports, or not talk at all and relax.”

The company is serviced by Foxy D’s Mobile Eats food truck which offers traditional bar foods, and they will be using different food trucks as time goes on.

The company is open from 4 to 10 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; 4 to 11 p.m. on Fridays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.